Flexible-tread wheel



April 7, 1925. 1,532,273Y

w. c. STARR FLEXIBLE TREAD'WHEEL Fi1ed May 19., 1924 fie Patented Apr.'7, 1925.

WNYATT C. STARR, F LAKE WALES, FLOREIA.

FLEXIELEATREAD WHEEL.

.Application leii. May 22,9, 1924. Serial No. 714,444. Y

To all 'whom it may conce/m.'

Be it known that l, WHY/rrr (l. STARR, a citizen ot the United States,residing at Lake Vilales, in the county ot Poll; and State of Florida,have invented a new and useful Flexible-Tread Wheel, ot which the`iollowis a specification. v

The device torn'iing the subiect matter of this application is anattachment for a vehicle wheel, in the nature ot a tread, adapte-d toprevent the wheel trom sinking into the 'ground, and the invention aimsto provide novel means wl'iereby the tread may be connected to the wheelin such a way as to permit the tread to have the necessary movementswith respect to the wheel, the construction being simple and being welladapt et to withstand hard use.

lt is within the province ot the disclosure improve generally and toenhance the utiliy oi devices of that sort to which the. inventionappertains.

vWith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction and arrangement o'j parts hereinafter described antlshown in the drawings, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes can be made without departing from the spiritof the invention,

ln the drawings: Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructedin accordance with, the invention and assembled with a wheel; Figure 2is a section taken on the line or `gure 1; Figure 3 is a section takenon the line 3--3 ot Figure 1.

The numeral 1 marks a wheel including a rim` and spokes 3.

ln carrying out the invention, there is provided a treal 4, includinga'base 5 having standards 6 and 7, spaced apart longitudinally ot the abody 8 ot considerably less width than the base 5, the standards 6 and'i' having oppositely extended flanges 9 connected by securing elements10 with the body S intermediate its ends, the body 8 is cut away as at11 to form a reduced neck 12 and shoulders 14 and 15.

A connector 16 is supplied, the connector being of tl-shape, generallyspeaking. rlhe connector comprises a loop-shaped head 17, he sideportions ot which are inwardly extended as at 1S, to t'orm arms 19seated in recesses 2O in the sides of the rim 2 and held on the rim by asecuring device 21, such base. rlhe tread 4 comprises as a bolt passingthrough the rim 2. The connector 16 surrounds the neck 12 ot the body 8ot' the tread 4 loosely, so that the tread can have movement in adirection parallel to the base 4, in the direction of the line oftravel, as indicated by the arrows A in igure 2. The tread can also havea movement with respect 'to the wheel rim 2, in a direction parallel tothe base 5, but transversely ot the line ot travel, as indicated by thearrows B in Figure 2. Further, the tread 4 can have a movement withrespect to the wheel rim in a Idirection at right angles to the base 5,as indicated by the arrows C in Figure 1. The result is that the tread 4will always conform freely and readily to the surface of the ground,when the wheel rim 2 is in contact with the body 8, regardless otwhether the vehicle is travel ling forwardly or backwardly in a straightline, or turning either to th right or t0 the lett. The movement betweenthe tread 4 and rim 2 is limited resiliently by a.- coiled spring 22,one end of which is secured at 23 to the standard 6, the other end ofthe spring being secured at 24 to a lug 25 projecting from the outer endot the head 17 ot the connector 16, the spring being housed between thestandards 6 and Y. When the spring 22 is in a neutral condition, thehead 1'? ot the connector 16 is spaced from the shoulders 14 and 15.lWhen the spring is elongated, thc head 17 will engage the shoulders 15,as shown in Figures 1 and 2: and when the spring is under suticientcompression, the head 17 of the connector 16 will engage the shoulders14.

Generally stated, the device embodies an vexceedingly simple and strongmeans whereby a tread may be connected to a wheel rim, yieldably, 'forpractically universal movement.

What is claimed is 1. ln device ot the class described, a treadcomprising a base, a body, and standards connecting the base and thebody; a connector surrounding` the body loosely, a spring united withthe connector and with one standard; and means for assembling theconnector with a wheel.

2. In a device ot the class described, a tread comprising a base, abody, and means 'tor connecting the base and the body, the body having areduced neck; a connector loosely surrounding the neck; a spring unitedwith the connector and with the ce ector loosely Surrounding he mgheated between the stand- ("1 y zi/l zml und assembled Wlh the connectorand "il emKifmn; und meal-1e 1er connecter ou n wheel. 15

l'eseuce 01 wo Witnesses.

"T TT C. STARR.

the i wuesees n. M.. Rfk/Heelys, H. 30m2, Jr.

